Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Well, that's a wrap from today's game, folks. Thank you for tuning in and staying with us over the last few hours. Do join us again for the series decider day after tomorrow (4th June). Until then, this is Rashad Mahbub signing off on behalf of Andrew McGlashan, Thilak Ramamurthy and Harshith Gowda. Cheers!

Josh Inglis: "[Discussion before the game] I think mostly it was probably on the batting front. I know guys had some good conversations around training yesterday, just about individual method and how they were going to go about it, and it was obviously dependent on the wicket, and it looked very similar to the other day. So, yeah, I thought the guys played it really well today. There were some good contributions across the board and some good partnerships on the batting front. [You wanted to bat deep] Yeah, I think so. I think it was a pretty good total in the end. It would have been nice for someone to go on and get a big score, but it was just about building that partnership in those middle overs, just being nice and patient, and yeah, we thought anything over 200, we were right in the game [One thing you have to work on is DRS] I blame the bowlers [laughter]. Yeah, he was outstanding tonight [Ellis]. You can always call on Nello on those sort of pitches, his variations are outstanding, and when you've got on-pace at 145 and then your slow balls at just over 100k an hour, it's really tough. So, yeah, I thought he bowled outstanding tonight."

Shaheen Shah Afridi: "I think we gave away 20-30 extra runs towards the end. We lost wickets early on and that built pressure on us. [Different surface than Pindi] It is a spinning track, not easy to bat on. Yes, in the second innings the ball comes nicely onto the bat, but the way Nathan Ellis bowled well; he bowled at stump to stump and that brought him success. [Series decider game] We will try to win the game. There's just a day's gap, so we won't look too much at our mistakes. [Bowling unit] Yes, on these wickets, the more you bowl in the line of the stumps, the more it helps since it doesn't swing much. When it started to reverse, the ball was changed so our bowlers didn't get much help from the old ball."

Player of the Match, Nathan Ellis: "I think when you got the new ball on a wicket like this, you want to try and maximize it for as long as you can on nights like this. It's not that long, so you try and get up there and swing it for 4 or 5 balls, and then you get into your work, as we saw both teams do today. [One frontline seamer added pressure?] Not added pressure; I think it's definitely different to the traditional one-day cricket we see around the world at the moment, but I think one of the big strengths of this group is the willingness to be flexible, the willingness to adapt, and the willingness to try things a little bit out of the ordinary. So, no extra pressure, but yeah, a little bit different. [Any different tactic while bowling?] Well, I think it's no secret that today it was pretty low and slow, and so it meant you can bring your length back and still hit the top of the stump. Me being a little bit of a shorter bowler allows me to do that in most places anyway. But yeah, I think we saw the cutters and the slow balls working a lot today, and the ball started to tail and reverse swing through the 35 to 45 over mark."

Faisal: "Disappointing preparation for world cup continues. Pakistan now has more questions then answers. "

Shehroz: "How useful were the last over runs by Peake. Goldust!"

AD: "41 runs winning margin in a low scoring game is a drubbing!"

12:04 am From 78 for 6 to 190 all out, for some time it looked like Shadab and company were going to pull off the unthinkable. But in the end, not all fairytales belong to the batters; the cricket gods planned to leave this tale for the bowlers and fielders instead. Australia level the series 1-1 after what was a dramatic game and turnaround. On a tacky, slow pitch, Australia struck early with the ball, in similar fashion to what Pakistan did in the first innings. Pakistan were in immediate trouble, losing both their opening batters within the first two overs. Babar was then deceived by an off-cutter from Ellis and had to depart in the fifth over, just when he and Ghori were looking to rebuild the innings with some fine strokes. It quickly became 44 for 4 as Australia kept restricting the runs and picking up wickets with their bowlers. It could have been five down, but Australia missed out on taking a review for a plumb LBW shout against Ghori in the sixth over. At the drinks break in the 16th over, Pakistan were 75 for 5, clearly taking a toll against the visiting bowling attack on a pitch that surely backfired on them today. Ghori was the only real bright light in the Pakistan innings in the early stage, striking a few wonderful boundaries and keeping the scoreboard ticking, but he too had to depart against Zampa for 37 runs. Then, Shadab and Arafat built a partnership slowly against the Australian spin attack. Arafat was dropped by Peake on 24 runs, a rare lapse in play for an Australian side that had been brilliant in the field today. Their 59-run partnership was eventually broken by Ellis, who trapped Arafat LBW for 33. Shadab then became the last hope for Pakistan, battling through severe cramps and holding up his end with grit and determination. He was the last batter out for a fine 71, an excellent innings under extreme pressure. Ellis finished with career-best figures to grab four wickets, while Short claimed three to dismantle the middle order. Zampa, Sangha, and Kuhnemann chipped in with a wicket each. The post-match presentation is coming up next.

Rio: "Ellis should win the MOM. On a spin friendly wicket bowled is heart out."

Vik: "@Jawad his confidence has taken a toll after noone believed him on Ghazi's plumb."

khaled : "This game started as an one-day match, evolved to a test match and now taking shape of a t20."

Australia won by 41 runs

44.1
W
Sangha to Shadab Khan, 1 wide, OUT, Wide ball down the leg-side and looks like that's the game, caught Shadab by surprise! Sangha bowls a floated, wide delivery down the leg-side. Shadab steps out of the crease while playing the flick stroke, a natural reflex of his batting follow-through, and gets a bit too far forward on his cramped legs. He tries to get back into the crease, but his foot stays outside the line by a fraction or two, by the barest of margins. Shadab stands there stranded in disappointment as the square leg umpire sends it upstairs to have another look. Yep, he is short of his ground. Nevertheless, a fine knock from Shadab comes to an end.

Shadab Khan st †Inglis b Sangha 71 (141m 104b 1x4 3x6) SR: 68.26

Abrar Ahmed is the last batter in. 43 runs required from 36 balls. Here's Sangha now.

END OF OVER:
44 | 1 Run 1 Wkt | PAK: 189/9 (43 runs required from 36 balls, RR: 4.29, RRR: 7.16)

  • Shadab Khan71 (104b)
  • Nathan Ellis9-1-33-4
  • Adam Zampa9-0-30-1

Jawad: "What is Inglis doing??? So many missed reviews!"

43.6
W
Ellis to Haris Rauf, OUT, Cleaned him up with a seed! Ellis bowls a hard length ball on the stumps. Rauf moves onto the back foot to negate this one, just like he did for the last 14 deliveries or so, but fails to get inside the line of the ball in time. This was a pace on delivery from Ellis and it sneaked through the gates to break the furniture!

Haris Rauf b Ellis 0 (28m 15b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0

43.5
1
Ellis to Shadab Khan, 1 run, slower through the air ball wide outside off, driven square to the off-side sweeper fielder

vishwa: "okay how did Aussies let the match go this far?"

43.4
0
Ellis to Shadab Khan, no run, half-volley ball and Shadab steps out of the crease to strike this one to cover off the bottom part of the bat
43.3
0
Ellis to Shadab Khan, no run, good length ball outside off, pace off delivery, smothers it to the backward point fielder
43.2
0
Ellis to Shadab Khan, no run, three-quarter length ball guides it to point, denies another single again
43.1
0
Ellis to Shadab Khan, no run, hard length ball on the stumps, jabs it to midwicket

Ellis in

END OF OVER:
43 | 7 Runs | PAK: 188/8 (44 runs required from 42 balls, RR: 4.37, RRR: 6.28)

  • Haris Rauf0 (14b)
  • Shadab Khan70 (99b)
  • Adam Zampa9-0-30-1
  • Tanveer Sangha4-1-21-0
42.6
0
Zampa to Haris Rauf, no run, Wrong-un ball on middle-leg, taps it to midwicket

Slip in place.

42.5
1
Zampa to Shadab Khan, 1 run, fuller length ball works it away to long off
42.4
0
Zampa to Shadab Khan, no run, back of a length ball pats it down to point
42.3
0
Zampa to Shadab Khan, no run, fuller length ball driven to long on, retains the strike
42.2
0
Zampa to Shadab Khan, no run, length ball dabs it t ocover

Replay confirmed 41.6 was plumb, all three reds and striking the middle-leg stump.

42.1
6
Zampa to Shadab Khan, SIX, Through the hands of Green! Tossed up a fuller length ball and tries to go downtown, didn't quite get hold of it and looks like Green was in business. But it burst through his hands as he was tracking back and jumping in the air, a tough chance goes begging!

END OF OVER:
42 | (maiden) | PAK: 181/8 (51 runs required from 48 balls, RR: 4.30, RRR: 6.37)

  • Haris Rauf0 (13b)
  • Shadab Khan63 (94b)
  • Tanveer Sangha4-1-21-0
  • Adam Zampa8-0-23-1
41.6
0
Sangha to Haris Rauf, no run, Loud appeal and Sangha looks convinced! Looks like he failed to convince Inglis though. A floated, good length ball with a hint of turn. Rauf plays a bit late and gets beaten by the flight and turn, which hits the front pad. We will have to wait for the review to check the ball tracking. In the meantime, Rauf survived the over!
41.5
0
Sangha to Haris Rauf, no run, quicker and fuller on the stumps, gets inside the line of the ball and blocks it with determination
41.4
0
Sangha to Haris Rauf, no run, floated a good length ball on middle-off, defends on the track
41.3
0
Sangha to Haris Rauf, no run, length ball parries it down to midwicket
41.2
0
Sangha to Haris Rauf, no run, good length ball on the stumps, defends off the front foot and inside edges to short fine leg
41.1
0
Sangha to Haris Rauf, no run, starts the over with a sumptuous shortish delivery; Rauf blasts it straight back to the bowler. Sangha does well to cut it off

Sangha returns to the attack

Pakistan 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st4Sahibzada FarhanMaaz Sadaqat
2nd2Babar AzamSahibzada Farhan
3rd27Babar AzamGhazi Ghori
4th11Salman AghaGhazi Ghori
5th14Abdul SamadGhazi Ghori
6th20Shadab KhanGhazi Ghori
7th59Shadab KhanArafat Minhas
8th31Shadab KhanShaheen Shah Afridi
9th21Shadab KhanHaris Rauf
10th1Abrar AhmedShadab Khan